Dec 5, 2017 2 min read

Following the Marcellus Shale Coalition and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce’s recent conference, it was encouraging to see the Observer-Reporter’s coverage on the tremendous economic opportunities that our state’s shale gas provides, and the critical next steps that need to be taken to ensure that Pennsylvanians can fully realize these benefits.

At Consumer Energy Alliance, we work hard to ensure that all consumers – from homeowners to large manufacturers – have access to environmentally responsible, affordable, reliable energy, and agree wholeheartedly that it is important that our communities and our policymakers understand how critical it is that we continue to build out our energy infrastructure to not only take advantage of Pennsylvania’s vast reserves of natural gas, but to also ensure a steady supply of energy for families and businesses across our state.

Pipelines have long been proven to be the safest, most efficient way to transport our energy resources across long distances to the markets that need it. And markets here in Pennsylvania will soon benefit from one such project that is currently under construction. The Mariner East 2, nearing completion, represents a $3 billion investment that has helped to create over 30,000 jobs and will generate approximately $1 million in tax revenue for the commonwealth.

Pennsylvania has already seen tremendous economic benefits from the shale gas revolution, but as noted in the above-mentioned article, “Drilling is just the beginning.” As the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania approaches maturity, we must remain committed to both preserving our environment and building out the necessary infrastructure so that Pennsylvanians can continue to reap these benefits for generations to come.

Michael Butler

Pittsburgh

Butler is the mid-Atlantic regional director of the Consumer Energy Alliance.